Hinge construction



March 25, 1941. w. c. DEVEREAUX HINGE CONSQRUQIION Filed May a, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 0112mm C. Deue'reaaz ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 25, 1941 2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to hinge constructions and refers more particularly to'improvements in hinges of the type employed for supporting rear-deck closures on motor vehicle bodies. a

Considerable dilflculty has heretofore been errcountered in developing a satisfactory hinge for use in mounting rear-deck closures on vehicle bodies and one of the most serious problems has been to provide a hinge of such compact construction that it will not appreciably obstruct the storage space provided in the compartment.

it is, one of the principal objects of this invention to overcome the foregoing difliculties by providing a compact concealed hinge construction which occupies the minimum space within the storage compartment and at the same time embodies means for effectively holding the closure in both open and closed positions.

Another advantageous feature of this invention resides in the provision of a concealed hinge of the character set forth wherein the means for holding the closure in either its closed or open positions also assists in the movement of the closure to both of said positions.

In addition to the foregoing, the present invention contemplates a concealed hinge embodying the foregoing features and composed of a relatively few simple parts capable of being inexpensively manufactured, assembled and installed.

llhe foregoing, as well as other objects, will be made more apparent as this description procoeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, of a portion of a vehicle body having a deck closure hinged to the body structure in accordance with the teachings of this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side clevational view of the hinge shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 3-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the hinge shown in Figure 2.

in Figure l of the drawings, I have illustrated a portion of the rear end of a motor vehicle body having a storage compartment Ill accessible through an opening in the rear deck of the body and having a closure II for normally closing the opening. The closure ii is hingedly connected at its upper end to the adjacent body structure by means of a concealed hinge l2 and it will be (ill. 16-135) contents of the compartment when the decl: closure it is swung between the open and closed positions thereof.

Upon reference to Figures 2 to a, inclusive, it

will be noted that the hinge it comprises a fixed part It and a movable part it pivotally connected to the fixed part by means of a pin it for swinging movement between the two positions shown in Figure 2 relative to the fixed part. The fixed part i3 is secured to the body structure within the compartment ill and the movable part it is secured to the inner side of the deck closure it, with the result that the hinge is thoroughly concealed from View.

The fixed section it of the hinge comprises a substantially U-shaped portion it having the free ends of the leg portions bent laterally to provide extensions ii. In the present illustrative embodiment of the invention, the extensions it are secured to the body structure adjacent the top edge of the closure ii and the U-shaped portion iii is secured to an angularly extending supporting panel of the body structure. If desired, the fixed section ill of the hinge may be reinforced by providing a continuous lateral flange on the inner edges of the U-shaped portion and extensions ii.

The cooperating movable section it is substantially channel-shaped in cross section and has a width less than the distance between the legs of the U-shaped portion it to permit extending the end it of the movable section it between the extremities of the legs of the U-shaped portion it. Upon reference to Figure 3, it will be noted that the pivot pin it extends through the side flanges at the end IQ of the movable section it and also projects through the reinforcing flanges i3 extending laterally from the U-shaped portion it. As a result, the two sections are effectively pivotally connected together to permit the section It to be swung between the two positions shown in Figure 2.

r In Figure 2 of the drawings, I have shown the movable section M as having a substantially straight portion arranged in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the end portion Hi and connected to the end portion it through the medium of an arcuate portion 2!.

The portion 20 is also channel-shaped in cross section and the base part thereof is adapted to be secured to the inner side 01' the closure Ii.

The two cooperating sections of the hinge are also connected to each other by means of a pair of coiled torsion springs 22 and 22' located on opposite sides of the path of travel of the section ll of the hinge. The inner ends of the coil springs are provided with laterally inwardly projecting extensions 23 extending through aligned openings in the adjacent flanges of the channelshaped movable section It, and the outer ends of the coil springs are provided with laterally outwardly projecting extensions 24 extending through aligned openings formed in suitable lugs 25. The lugs 25 are welded or otherwise secured to the fixed section l3 of the hinge at opposite sides of the path of travel of the cooperating movable section I. Upon reference to Figure 2, it will be noted that the extensions 24 on the outer ends of the springs are supported by the lugs 25 in such a position with respect to the pivot pin [5 as to require movement of the extensions 23 across a plane designated by the reference character 26 and including both the extensions 24 and the axis of the pin i5. In other words, the arrangement is such that the extensions 23 on the inner ends of the springs move across the plane 26 when the closure is swung between the two positions thereof shown in Figure 2 of the drawmgs.

In the specific embodiment of the invention shown herein for the purpose of illustration, the inner extensions 23 of the coil springs assume a position above the plane 26 when the closure is in its closed position, with the result that both springs act to resist opening movement of the closure or, in other words, to hold the closure in its closed position. On the other hand, when the closure is in its open position shown by the dotted lines in Figure 2, the inner extensions 23 of the coil springs assume a position below the plane 26 and, as a consequence, the springs act to hold the closure in its open position. It will, of course, be understood from the above that as the inner extensions 23 of the springs move from one side of the plane 26 to the other, the springs act to assist continued movement of the closure.

Thus, from the foregoing, it will be observed that I have provided a relatively simple hinge construction embodying means for not only yieldably holding the closure in its closed and open positions but, in addition, for assisting movement of the closure between these two positions. It will further be apparent that my hinge construction is relatively compact and does not occupy an appreciable space within the storage com partment.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A hinge for closures, comprising a substantially U-shaped section, a cooperating section having one end extending between the leg portions of the first section and pivotally connected to said leg portions, spring means having axially aligned coiled portions located at opposite sides of the path of swinging movement of the second section with the axis thereof extending substantially parallel to the axis of pivotal movement of the second hinge section and with the outer ends connected to the U-shaped section in spaced retions, the inner end portions of the coiled portions of the spring being connected to the second section between the outer ends aforesaid of the spring means and the pivotal connection between the hinge sections'for movement with the second section across a plane including both the outer ends of the spring means and the axis of pivotal connection between the sections.

2. A hinge for closures, comprising a substantially U-shaped section, a cooperating hinge section having a U-shaped section extending in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the first U-shaped section and having one of the leg portions extending between the legs of the first named U-shaped section, means pivotally connecting the leg'aforesaid of the second U-shapcd section to the legs of the first U-shaped section, spring means having axially aligned coiled portions located at opposite sides of the path of swinging movement of the second section with the axis thereof extending substantially parallel to the axis of pivotal movement of the second section and with the outer ends respectively connected to the legs of the first U shaped section in spaced relation to the pivotal connection between said sections, the inner ends of the coiled portions of said springs being connected to the leg aforesaid of the second U-shaped section between the 4 outer ends of said springs and the pivotal connection between said sections for movement with the second section across a plane including both the outer ends of the springs and the axis of pivotal connection between the sections.

WILLIAM C. DEVEREAUX. 

